


Neon Genesis Alcion

by AngryLoudGermanGirl



Series: Neon Genesis Alcion [1]
Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Apocalypse, Drama, Friendship, Gen, High School, Kaiju, Mecha, Post-Apocalypse, Starstruck, Teen Idol, Teenage Drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:28:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24295108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngryLoudGermanGirl/pseuds/AngryLoudGermanGirl
Summary: Asuka has spent her entire life wanting to be a star, to be the center of the world's attention and adoration. The girl practically has the life of glamour and fame plastered in her brain. But, as humanity comes under the otherworldly threat of the Apostolos and a mysterious rival Evangelion pilot challenges her for a spot on the world stage, Asuka must find out for herself if she can live up to the destiny that's supposed to be hers.Inspired by the 1993 early concept material and proposal which would eventually become Evangelion.
Series: Neon Genesis Alcion [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1754398
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	1. The Giants of Berlin-II

With a hiss and a crack, the jet’s door opened out into the morning breeze, a rush of cool air entering the cabin. A garnet heel stepped down onto the boarding ramp, and then another, complimented by a candy apple sundress that fluttered tenderly in the wind. Crisp cobalt eyes narrowed as they peered about the runway, before being drawn to the sight of the rising sun. It crested over the tremendous skyscrapers to the East, which silhouetted against the horizon like towering mythical beings. The Giants of Berlin-II.

Thin lips spread into a smile at the familiar image as she stepped off the ramp, the wind gracing her pale skin and sending a shiver up her back. Shoulder-length sunflower blonde hair blew in the breeze, tickling her neck and freckled cheeks. Taking in a deep breath, she sighed contently to herself.

 _*Buzz!_ *

 _*Buzz!_ *

 _*Buzz!_ *

The purse by her side vibrated. Her smile faded as she sighed again, a note of frustration in it.

 _*Buzz!_ *

 _*Buzz!_ *

 _*Buzz!_ *

“Same old, same old, huh?” asked a male voice from behind, its tone silky smooth and yet powerful enough to send its own chill up the girl’s spine.

With a glance back towards the jet, she nodded as her hand brushed her windswept hair from her face, revealing a cheerful smile even as her handbag continued to vibrate.

“It’s just like how I remember it, Mr Kaji! A liiiiittle chillier than I’d like personally, but it’s home.”

“Well then, let’s get you two reacquainted. You think Berlin-II missed you as much as you missed it, Asuka?”

Her heart fluttered as she heard him speak, but his question made her bite her lip, because the answer was…complicated. Everything was complicated for Asuka Langley Soryu. Everything.

\-----------------------------------------------------

A week had been set aside for the pair to settle down after their move but ever eager, Asuka jumped at the opportunity to go back to school. The night before her first day, Asuka spent hours running through a regiment of facial cleaners, blackhead removers, lotions, the whole works. The razor was most assuredly not the friend of any German girl, but she shrugged it off. No matter how tired she felt or how late she stayed up prepping herself, she was determined to look the best she possibly could when she saw her classmates for the first time in over a year. If she was anything but spotless…what would they think? She had to keep up appearances because Asuka knew as soon as she set foot in that school, all eyes would be on her.

At last she was nearing the end, but that was not an excuse to skimp out or deliver anything less than perfect. A dumpy school uniform just would not do her justice, with its sterile look that blended in with everyone else. What could she add that would catch the eye? Reaching into her bag, Asuka picked through it until she found exactly what she wanted: a bottle of Revlon Roulette Rush polish. With a steady, deliberate hand she applied it to each nail. With each one done, Asuka felt a sense of elation. And yet, even as she looked over herself as she let her work dry…something was missing. 

She couldn’t wrap her mind around it, and it was beginning to frustrate her. What was she missing? She looked around her room, still messy and riddled with half-open boxes from the move, for inspiration. Her gaze went to her phone, but at the thought of actually unlocking it and seeing the flood of ignored notifications, she continued to search.

That’s when she spotted it, sitting there on the nightstand as if beckoning to her: a headband, otherwise unremarkable save for two small rounded crimson and white horns that protruded from it. Asuka had received it during her time in America, courtesy of the training she had been doing there. Normally something so dorky would put her off, but the longer she looked at it, the more it dared her to incorporate it into her look.

Picking it up, Asuka then opened one of the boxes and dumped its contents out onto the already crowded bed. The girl flipped through each one, skimming through them. Surely something here would work…

“That’s it!”

Asuka studied the glossy magazine page, before attempting to copy what she saw. The result pulled her hair back, letting it fall further back behind her head down to the nape of her neck while keeping her bangs in place. It complimented her heart-shaped face, but most importantly, it covered up much of the headband, leaving the horns poking out towards the back of her head. Almost like devil-horns, perhaps?

Now this was a look Asuka could get behind. Cute but mischievous was exactly what she saw herself as. Even in her increasingly tired state, she smiled. If this didn’t make them do a double take, well…clearly the problem is with them.

As she prepared to head to bed, Asuka paused, before looking back to her phone. She would have to check it. She had been putting it off since she touched down with Mr Kaji, but even she knew she couldn’t avoid all the notifications forever. With great reluctance, she unlocked her phone and opened the Supergram app.

The first thing her weary eyes were met with was her own face in a video preview. It seemed the little update video she made on the plane ride back had blown up, just as she was hoping. The views were tremendous, and the comments similarly numerous. Not that she cared about the comments. She never read any of them anyways. The only thing that was keeping her attention wasn’t the typed responses from her viewers, but the now playing video.

Asuka cringed. She wore her biggest smile in the video, but she could just see how tired she looked in the video due to being crammed in a jet for hours on end. How did no one else see that she seemed so forced in the video? What idiots. She opened the dreaded “Messages” tab, spotted one at the very top with a subject line reading “hey” and then immediately proceeded to delete the entire message stack without batting an eye.

Setting her phone down, Asuka slipped under whatever she could of the covers and closed her eyes. Beauty sleep is super important, so she best not waste any more time, lest she come out looking as miserable as she did in the video. That would just be the worst.

\-----------------------------------------------------

With a confident strut, Asuka set her first footstep onto school ground, and then another, and another. Her gait was fast but impactful as her plain black shoes hit the ground. A pewter grey high-waisted skirt hung down to her knees, each step kicking it upwards as though fighting back against its conservative coverage. Asuka carried in her hand a student’s briefcase, slung over her shoulder without care. The whiteness of her long-sleeved white blouse was accented with a rich carmine silk bow, while the sleeves were rolled up to just above the elbow, exposing her pale skin. The breeze blew just enough to give a flowing motion to her hair that only served to further her dramatic entrance onto campus, Marina and the Diamonds playing on her earbuds as the soundtrack to her coming.

_“Got a figure like a pin-up, got a figure like a doll_

_Don't care if you think I'm dumb, I don't care at all_

_Candy bear, sweetie pie, wanna be adored_

_I'm the girl you'd die for”_

A group of boys were busy discussing their plans for after school involving a newly released MOBA video game when one of them spotted the approaching Asuka, going quiet as he took in every part of her. His friends noticed and followed his gaze to her, and they too went quiet.

_“I'll chew you up and I'll spit you out_

_'Cause that's what young love is all about_

_So pull me closer and kiss me hard_

_I'm gonna pop your bubblegum heart”_

Pausing her music, Asuka popped an earbud out and smiled at them.

“Heyyyyy Johannes,” she asked, voice almost a purr as she bit her lip. “Whatcha talkin’ about?”

The closest boy fumbled his words as her eyes zeroed in on him.

“Oh, uh, hey Langley. Me and my bros were just talking about our plans for tonight. _New Century Skyhawk_ drops tonight and we all got preorders, so we’re gonna go screw around in it and see how everything works.”

“Oh, I’ve got that on preorder too! Maybe I’ll join you boys later. My gamertag’s ‘xxKATE_ROSExx’ and I’m preeeetty much always online whenever I have free time. Besides, I’ve got a new rig that I’ve just been iiiitching to try out.”

All of them looked at each other and quickly smiled and snickered with one another, one boy whispering to his friend “Duuude we gonna have a sexy chick on our team!”

“Oh? Who is she?” asked Asuka, tilting her head, causing him to go quiet upon realizing she was asking him.

“Uhh…”

“Well, I’ll keep my eye out for her then. Now, I’ve got to get going, but don’t get toooooo distracted now. We don’t waaaant anyone to be off thinking about something he shouldn’t in class, now do weee?”

She spun around and took off, every boy in the group watching her from behind and a few still thinking too hard about her last comment. She could feel them watching, and she tingled with satisfaction. She wasn’t even sure if that guy’s name was actually Johannes, but frankly she didn’t care to know what his name was. Or anyone else’s for that matter. Every glance, every probing gaze, was a thrill. Girls, boys, nerds, jocks, preps, all of them were fodder for her hunger for attention. Replacing her earbud, she hit play.

_“I'm Miss Sugar Pink, liquor, liquor lips_

_Hit me with your sweet love, steal me with a kiss_

_I'm Miss Sugar Pink, liquor, liquor lips_

_I'm gonna be your bubblegum bitch_

_I'm gonna be your bubblegum bitch”_

\-----------------------------------------------------

The walk to class was just the preview. True to her expectations, many a student swarmed Asuka, abuzz with questions and comments such as “How was your trip?” or “Yo girl you still single??” or “Hey when are we gonna see it, Langley?!” and no doubt many more she barely registered. She simply smiled and waved to her entourage. When one of the track girls offered to take a selfie with her, Asuka gladly obliged, taking her phone and grinning at it as she took a picture with the girl.

“Hey Langley, what are those on your head” asked one boy.

Asuka tapped on the horns coming from the back of her head after she returned the girl’s phone.

“Ohhh, theeeese? I got these from NERV’s American branch! They’re super cute, right? I use them for interfacing with my baby! Soooo nice of NERV to let me take them out of the lab!”

The students were all suitably impressed and would have continued to barrage Asuka with remarks had the bell not rang to signal homeroom. As the crowd dispersed, Asuka waved a dramatic farewell to them with a gleeful laugh. For all the work she spent the previous night and this morning getting ready, Asuka was content with the fruits of her labor.

The rest of the school day was spent in a euphoric high as she heard her name being mentioned all about school in a variety of situations. The geeks speculated about how her horns worked. The jocks were devising plans and bets for who could get a successful date with her. The popular girls were busy talking trash about her only a table away from Asuka at lunch time. Asuka’s response was to flick a bit of tomato at one of them, the thing becoming stuck in one girl’s hair without her notice, which forced Asuka to snicker quietly.

Once her silent chuckling was done, she looked down at her lunch tray, a smile on her face. Gone a year and yet time had only served to strengthen Asuka’s stardom. Her Supergram page was on fire. Her classmates adored and hated her all at once. Everyone was talking about her. This was it. This was the life.

And she was already feeling tired of it. No, of course she wasn’t! She just had her fill of the noise and bustle for the day, and she was ready to go home. The only problem was that there were still three hours of school left. Three hours of more laughs, flirtatious comments and selfies. God dammit.

\-----------------------------------------------------

The final bell rang out, signaling the end of the school day. Asuka departed the building with briefcase in hand, still maintaining her energetic walk and smile until she was certain she was out of view of any other students. Without hesitation, her hands searched for the ribbon around her neck, which by this point was on the verge of causing her to go mad.

Before she could remove the damned thing, out of the corner of her vision she spotted someone leaving campus as well. A guy, tall and lanky with a wine coloured track jacket on. He was nothing to write home about in the looks department, but in the annoyances department, Asuka was writing pages. Did he live down this same way? Great. Wonderful. Joyous. Fuck. Couldn’t she at least have the walk back home to herself? Her and Mr Kaji’s apartment was a good long walk away from here…

Suddenly, Asuka’s complaining about the blandness of her clothes had been flipped on its head somewhat. Had the girl worn heels to school, her feet would be killing her by now with how she had been walking. And now Asuka was going to have to walk for even longer like that. The thought of her offering a sincere apology to her dorky black shoes was enough to get a chuckle out of the tired girl.

Well, there was no point to putting it off. Asuka resumed her walk, but not wishing to think of how long the coming walk was going to be, she looked around at the colossal majesties that made up this part of Berlin-II. The towers of steel, concrete, and glass were all modern marvels of engineering and triumphs of aesthetic. Considering how quickly Berlin-II was built, it was impressive for sure. What was once a random patch of forest in Brandenburg fifteen years ago had become a beacon of culture and human ingenuity in her eyes.

Asuka panned her head around, taking in the view of city life. Pigeons pecking at dropped French fries. The mesmerizing lights of cars in the street as the sun set. Surface-to-air missile systems crowning the peaks of many of the taller skyscrapers. The odd couple out shopping in one of the many boutique stores. It was nice. City life suited Asuka well. There was always something to do. Once the weekend hits, Asuka would for sure hit the town, maybe get a bite to eat too. A nice hot fudge sundae sure would be nice about now. Maybe two, since it had been a long day and she deserved to treat herself.

A funny thought slipped into Asuka’s mind as she continued on: how fortunate was it that Berlin-II citizens spoke English as their main language? Her trip to America was filled with plenty of bright spots, but what wasn’t one was that she hadn’t spoken all that much German. She was a little rusty, as much as she hated to admit it. Growing up and spending most of her life in Berlin-II, she rarely had a need to speak the national language anyways, but it was the principal of the thing! A German who can’t speak a lick of German? Beyond stupid! Still, the decision by the UN and NERV to enforce English as the main language of the cities each NERV branch was based out of at least made the trip to America a whole lot easier.

Oh, that trip to America was something alright. The training there was a miserable chore Asuka was frankly ecstatic about not having to ever repeat again. Well, not on her own anyways. Everything else? Beyond her wildest dreams. The people were really friendly and often went out of their way to help Asuka and Mr Kaji find their way around. American fast food was such a guilty pleasure for her after training, even if it often looked unappetizing to high heavens. All the variety of music and movies was enough to make her head spin. Asuka had seen snow for the first time in her life, and she spent all morning trying to make snowmen of her and Mr Kaji, to mixed results.

However, the crowning jewel was her visit to the white-covered valley of Hollywood, California. A city…no…THE city where dreams are made. All of Asuka’s idols and inspirations passed through there at some point, creating things that did so much to shape her in her younger years. The classy and assertive Katherine Hepburn, the intelligent yet ostentatious Elizabeth Taylor, the gloriously theatric Cate Blanchett, and oh she could go on and on. She must have spent an entire day just looking for a place to recreate Marilyn Monroe’s iconic flying skirt photo before being sorely disappointed to find that snow rarely left California these days, a stark contrast to what the state used to be back like in the day. Stupid Dead Sea Evaporation Incident, ruining her dream.

Accepting NERV US’s invitation for training was, if she was being honest, just an excuse for her pilgrimage to the big city. With any luck, the next time she would be there wouldn’t be in some stuffy rental car, but in a scarlet limousine with a bottle of champagne in one hand and her face on a _TIME_ magazine in the other. “Mankind’s Heroine and Hollywood’s Queen” would make for a good cover quote, wouldn’t it?

Asuka blinked. She was just a short distance away from the apartment complex she had moved into. Had she been lost in her reveries for that long?

_*Crack!*_

Something hit the concrete behind Asuka, causing her to twirl around. Two boys were on the ground before her, one of them the tall guy in the track jacket and the other another student from her school. The track jacket boy pummeled the other boy with his fist across the face. What the hell was going on?

Then, Asuka looked down. A phone attached to a selfie stick was laying on the ground, screen cracked but clearly showing a snapshot of Asuka’s panties. Wait…what?! Asuka looked back and forth, her mind drawing blanks as to what to do. This had never happened to her before. What was she supposed to do? A year of training in America for the unexpected for nothing.

Standing up and wiping his fist on his pant leg, the track jacket guy snorted as he walked past Asuka, heading towards the apartments.

“Next time, be aware of your surroundings, stupid” said the track jacket guy in a Slavic accent as he passed Asuka, leaving the other student in shambles on the ground.

Asuka was speechless, her mind unable to give a response at first to what had just happened. Then, the first thought that finally came to her was to kick the pervert’s phone into the bushes. The second thought was to kick the living shit out of the pervert. The third was to run home and cry because she was so fucking done with today.

\-----------------------------------------------------

Asuka spent that night alone in her room, face pressed hard into a stuffed animal crying and cursing. She had hoped Mr Kaji would be back that night to help raise her spirits, but it seemed the man had been summoned to NERV Germany’s HQ while she was away at school. On short notice as well, since her dear caretaker normally left a note before departing for work.

After some time, Asuka’s distressed sobs slowly lessened as she was able to regain control of herself, her thoughts steadily clearing. Asuka’s mind replayed the day over and over in her head. Everything was going according to plan. What went wrong? She wiped her face as she sniffed. Nothing had went wrong at school. The problem, she realized, was herself. She had begun to crack on the inside after just the first day in her fight for the top. For Asuka Langley Soryu, _Mankind’s Destined Primadonna_ , this was unacceptable. She wouldn’t allow herself to fall like this again. She couldn’t.

“Damn you, you pathetic loser” she thought as she looked up at the mirror to see the gross sniveling thing in it. “You’re not allowed to be a weak little shit like that! You’re above that!”

Her mind shifted to the incident that had happened on the way back from school, with the pervert who was stalking her. Asuka supposed she should have been flattered by the attempt. It was a marker for just how much her popularity was skyrocketing. Yet…it didn’t. Why? Why?! The sight of the camera and the realization stirred up something inside her that fiercely clashed with who she wanted to be. She shook her head at the implication, and forced herself to change the subject in her head.

That guy with the track jacket, unkempt auburn hair, and emerald green eyes saved her. Only minutes before, she had been thinking up every reason to want to knock his teeth out of his stupid Slavic face. Why? What could he possibly have to gain from helping her? Certainly not getting on her good side. He called her “stupid” for heaven’s sake!

Her eyes widened. He lived in this same apartment complex as her. She could find out for herself what he had to gain from all of this. Finding out his name and apartment number wouldn’t be hard. Just skim through the apartment’s tenant list and look for a name listing that that doesn’t sound like a local.

A pit began to form in her stomach. Some place deep inside her felt improper to not at least offer some kind of thanks to him for what he did. After all, when was the last time someone came to her defence for, well, anything? He knocked that stalker bang zoom straight to the moon. Sure, she wouldn’t have done the same thing had their roles been reversed, but…just something to show appreciation wouldn’t hurt, would it?

\-----------------------------------------------------

Another long school day was at an end. With an exhausted yawn, the Slavic young man pulled his door key from his pocket, the thing shimmering in the light of the sunset.

_*Blap!*_

The teenager recoiled in surprise as something smacked into his shoulder and plopped to the ground. He quickly spun around, searching for the source of his disturbance as his fight-or-flight reflexes kicked in. Standing there was that blonde girl from the other day, “Oska” or “Oscar” or whatever her name was. His vision trailed down towards the ground. By his foot was a wrapped up submarine sandwich.

He asked “…what the fuck are you doing?”

“Take it” replied Asuka, standing there sternly with hands on her hips, her normal voice lacking the flamboyance of the previous day. “That’s for yesterday, so now we’re even, Sergei Kresta.”

He furrowed his eyebrows.

“Yeah, I figured that, but why did you not just hand it to me?”

Asuka remained posed there, her stern face crumbling as it turned red as a cherry.

“You did not think of that, did you” he questioned.

No. No she hadn’t. The boy kneeled down and retrieved the sandwich, looking it over, before placing it under his arm. Unlocking the door, he turned back to Asuka.

“…so Oscar, are you coming in or not?”

After an entire day of hearing people fumble their words around her, it was Asuka’s turn.

“Oh, uhhh, s-sure? Th-Thanks I guess.”

He gestured to the open door, to which she entered sheepishly. Asuka couldn’t tell which was the weirder for her: being the awkward one for once or actually accepting a guy’s offer to go into his house. Well, at least she could strike the latter off the bucket list.

\-----------------------------------------------------

Asuka raised an eyebrow as she stood there, glancing around. This apartment complex wasn’t even that old, according to Mr Kaji, but the interior decor looked like something her Grandmother might have in her house. Old-fashioned patterned wallpaper, hand-painted wooden cabinets, and lace floral curtains. Super trippy, like being in a photograph from the 1960’s or something. The apartment felt cramped, even compared to Asuka’s own place, and much chillier to boot. A dingy old block of a television sat in the corner with a bunch of things plugged into it, Asuka’s eyes spotting an old PS2 being among the mess. A black and white portrait of a woman was hung up on the wall, along with a pin up girl poster and a crude drawing of an AK-47.

“Sit wherever you want,” said Sergei as he set down his briefcase and sandwich with a yawn.

After a moment of looking around, Asuka sat down on a hideous floral-patterned love seat, feeling herself sink into its lopsided cushion.

“Like it? It is some real big rich guy house, huh” laughed Sergei.

Asuka swallowed, carefully deciding her words as she continued to sink into the cushion.

“I-It’s…uhhh…different” she replied with a shake of her head. “…soooo…what’s up with the décor, exactly? I wouldn’t figure you to be someone who likes old fashion stuff.”

“You like it? It reminds me and my brother of home back in Russia. We searched long time to find everything once we came here.”

Asuka stared at a deeply worrying stain on the wall by the pin up poster.

“Dooooo you get lonely here often?”

Sergei took the sub from its wrapper and plopped onto the couch alongside Asuka, kicking a leg up onto the manky old coffee table.

“Not really,” he replied, taking a bite. “Me and my big brother get along okay. He works, I go to school, and I make dinner for when him. He is not a rich guy, but he makes enough to do okay.”

Asuka raised an eyebrow.

“No one comes to visit you?”

“Nope.”

“Aaaaaand you’re okay with that?”

Sergei wiped his mouth and shrugged.

“Pretty much. No one likes to hang out with big scary Russian kid. People think I am like a big scary wolf or bear” he replied, making a clawing motion.

Crossing her arms, Asuka frowned.

“Really? You’re a track team member, riiiiiiight? You’ve gotta have a bunch of idiot guy friends there, right? The track team’s chock FULL of them!”

Sergei laughed even harder than before, threatening to choke on his mouthful of sandwich.

“You think I am track team member, Oscar?!?”

Asuka grimaced and attempted to stand up, though only succeeding to struggle awkwardly in place on the love seat.

“My NAME is ASUKA! Not ‘ASOOKA’, not ‘ASS-KA’, and NOT ‘OSCAR’!” The girl finally gave up, sinking further still into the seat as she breathed deeply. “...I’m not stupid. Why ELSE would you wear a track jacket? Cuz ‘FAAAASHIOOOON’?? Are track suits worn by assholes a FASHIONABLE thing now, or did I just happen to miss that particular issue of _Vogue_?”

Sergei stifled a further laugh. “Because I like to wear them?” He flicked the exasperated German girl’s nose before taking another bite. “You should let this side of you out more often. It is fun.”

“Don’t you DARE flick me like I’m some piece of trash-” she paused, eyes wide with visible confusion. “What?”

Finishing the first half of the sub, Sergei licked his fingers. “I see you at school yesterday, walking all big and stuff like you have stick up your ass.”

A bead of sweat rolled down Asuka’s forehead. She wanted to give him a knuckle sandwich to go with the sandwich she had already given to him, but she managed to maintain her composition. She was curious about this tall Russian asshole’s comment.

Asuka smirked, eye twitching as she asked “Aaaaaand what is your point? Why do you care about what I do, hmmm?”

“If you want to act like you have a stick up your ass, you should OWN it.” Sergei clenched his fist to emphasize himself. “You always smile and laugh at the most stupid things, you know? That is so boring. See, I thought you were a dumb bitch which is a bad thing, but a bitch with attitude is so much more cooler, you know? It is more memorable is what I mean.”

“Hooooow so?”

“Most popular girls here act all sweet, but they are big bitches. Where I come from, girls are not scared to tell people they are morons. No one is. All I am saying is that you should make it clear you are not there to be their play thing, but other way around.”

Scratching her head, Asuka stared down at the coffee table. What the fuck did that mean? Was she only there to entertain and arouse and enrage her fellow classmates? Be their “play thing”? Oh no. Oh no no no no no she was NOT! They did NOT control her…right? Was that what exhausted her so much the other day? It wasn’t like she didn’t enjoy being so vocal and flirtatious, but…it did get on the nerves at times when she wasn’t always in the mood for it. If Asuka wanted to let the devil out, she was damn well going to no matter what! Okay, this Russian asshole was onto something.

Her nerves calming, Asuka recomposed herself, straightening out her skirt and hair before smiling at Sergei.

“Well…your feedback is much obliged, asshole. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

Sergei stood up from his seat effortlessly, before extending a hand to help Asuka up.

“Hey, assholes need to stick together to survive, you know? Fuck everyone else, am I right” asked the Russian teen as he tapped his finger against his head.

Asuka paused for a moment, before taking his helping hand.

“I suppoooose…its people like us against losers like them.”

“You can be the Heartbreaker, Asuka, and I can be the Facebreaker.”

Now THAT was a plan in Asuka’s book, putting a smile on her face. While not the first time someone legitimately put a smile on her freckled face, it was the first in a very long time by anyone who wasn’t Mr Kaji. As she stood there rosy-cheeked, looking up at the tall Russian boy, she spotted something hanging off a shelf behind him.

“Saaaay…I see you got an old PS2,” said Asuka. “That there…that isn’t a _Guitar Hero_ guitar, is it” she asked as she pointed towards the long plastic thing that jutted off the shelf.

Sergei raised an eyebrow, before glancing back.

“Ahhhhh, you play _Guitar Hero_ , Asuka?”

Asuka nodded her head.

“Mmmhm! Gaming IS, like, my bread and butter! PC, consoles, retro stuff, all of it! And I tell you, I can play _Guitar Hero_ like a fucking QUEEN!” She rested her hands on her hips. “Next time I’m over, fire it up and I WILL slay.”

“Good! My brother does not play with me very much anymore. He is always so busy.”

Asuka felt a pang of very mild regret. While she wasn’t lying when she said she was supreme at _Guitar Hero_ , the only problem was she hadn’t played it in ages after she accidentally destroyed Mr Kaji’s PS2 in a fit of rage after…wait…MR KAJI! Damn, Asuka had lost track of time! The girl scurried to the window and looked out. Night. Uh oh. Mr Kaji was always one for strict discipline, so this wasn’t going to sit well with him, what with her being out late at a guy’s house and all. Besides, the thought of upsetting her rather alarmingly attractive caretaker didn’t sit well with the teenage Asuka. 

“Ach! I’m running super late” cried Asuka. “I don’t wanna keep darling waiting!”

Fumbling with her briefcase, Asuka quickly touched up her hair and clothes before sending a text to Mr Kaji and darting out the door, Sergei bidding her a good night as she did so.

“Good night, Oscar!”

“You too, you giant asshole!”

With haste, Asuka made her way towards her and Mr Kaji’s apartment, nearly tripping once or twice but maintaining a pep in her step. In a sea of drones and sheep, Asuka was just happy to have met someone else with some goddamn personality for once, and it left her cheeks red the whole way back.

\-----------------------------------------------------

The door to the apartment creaked open as Asuka slipped inside. Everything was dark. Had she arrived back before Mr Kaji? Or perhaps he was asleep?

“Did you have a good evening, Asuka?”

That familiar tone made Asuka’s heart flutter as she paused midway through locking the door. Mr Kaji was home? Wait…his tone didn’t sound upset at all. Was something up? She could have sworn she was about to get a scolding from her fantasy guardian. Finishing locking up, Asuka turned around, a smile on her face and genuine teenage love oozing out of her words as she replied.

“Well I am now that you’re home, Mr Kaji!”

Sitting in the dark on the couch, illuminated by laptop light, was the unmistakable figure of the man. He was tall and lean, tawny-skinned, with long black hair tied back into a messy ponytail. His jawline game was strong, accentuated by stubble that felt wonderful to rub a hand against. The gorgeous Japanese man was still in his work clothes, the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up and tie haphazard and loose around his neck. His broad shoulders and beautiful smile beckoned to Asuka, but once she was halfway towards him, she paused.

“Wait, Mr Kaji, if you’re home, why didn’t you text me? I don’t wanna keep you waiting…it’s rude of me when I do…”

Kaji leaned back, rubbing his eyes, which now that Asuka was up close did seem much more tired than usual.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of interrupting anything, Asuka. You being out with a guy is a good thing, and I don’t want to interfere.”

Huh? What did he mean by that? Asuka shook her head.

“Is something up, Mr Kaji? You didn’t leave a note or anything yesterday, and you seem so tired now…is everything okay?”

Mr Kaji’s smile faded as he gestured towards the laptop.

“See for yourself, Asuka.”

Asuka slowly approached the couch and sat down beside the man, pressing herself against him despite his best attempt to scoot away from her a little. Her vision adjusted to the bright screen, before the girl let out a gasp of shock.

“Wh-What is this?! Mr Kaji?!”

The laptop displayed a live news broadcast from Japan. The text was mostly in kanji, but what English was there read “Tokyo-III Under Attack”. Her heart sank as the camera panned over a city in the dead of night, its skyscrapers eerily similar enough to Berlin-II’s to make Asuka uncomfortable at the sight of many of them in desolation. Fires could be seen burning just beyond the city as plumes of smoke circled skywards and sirens screamed. What was going on? Was it terrorists? An attacking army?

Then she saw it.

The panning camera revealed a not a giant of concrete and steel, but…a literal giant. A figure of grand stature, clad in smooth frost white plate armour, highlights of blood red breaking up the monochrome colour scheme. The entity possessed a mechanical appearance with long limber yet well-built limbs, coupled with a tapered and segmented midriff and bulky upper body. Broad twin pylons jutted from the tops of the shoulders, further enhancing its god-like height amongst the concrete titans.

The head of the giant resembled a kind of samurai helmet, with broad edges that jutted from the sides and back of the head. An armoured beak comprised the face with a long flat horn protruding forward from the titan’s forehead. A pair of glowing ultramarine eyes pierced the darkness as if staring directly into Asuka’s own frightened eyes. Adorning its body were NERV insignias and a large black number reading “01”. With a lumbering step, the earth and all the buildings trembled and shook. Asuka wrapped her arms around Mr Kaji, unable to look away from the fearful spectacle.

“D-Dear God, that’s…” she muttered. “…E-Evangelion Unit One…is online…”

The Giant of Tokyo-III had taken its first step, and that could only mean one thing: it was time. The Apostolos had finally come.


	2. A Primadonna for the New Age

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world is thrown into chaos after witnessing the battle in Tokyo-III between Evangelion Unit 01 and the Apostolo Zefon. Asuka, on the other hand, is focused less on the panic and more on what comes next for herself and NERV Germany. But one question keeps nagging at her...just who is the pilot of Evangelion Unit 01? Who is this "Yui Ichijou" people won't shut up about?

Evangelion Unit 01 slouched forward after taking its first step, before collapsing forward onto its face with a great crash that shattered the city street. The culmination of Mankind's knowledge and wisdom…had fallen, without a fight.

A moment passed as the dust settled, before Unit 01 began to move. It pressed its hands and knees against the ground, attempting to stand as its arms and legs shook and its armour rattled. The giant's limbs gave out, seemingly unable to coordinate the effort of raising itself up as it plummeted back down to the asphalt. Blaring sirens sounded off in the vicinity of Evangelion Unit 01 as heavy pounding sounds slowly made their way down the street towards it.

Approaching the fallen Evangelion Unit was equally tremendous figure, broad of shoulder yet narrow in waist. It sprouted long spindly arms terminating in large, boney, claw-like appendages. It stood upon short, bowed legs that came together by a broad pelvis equally as wide as its shoulders and bearing a shimmering ruby orb in its middle. A porcelain-like object rested across the front of its torso in place of a head, resembling something of an upturned arrowhead. The otherworldly thing bore an oily black colour.

"WARNING! WARNING! APOSTOLO IN IMMEDIATE VICINITY" declared an automated voice over the surrounding loudspeakers. "EVACUTE IMMEDIATELY! EVACUTE IMMEDIATELY!"

The Apostolo domineered over the distressed Unit 01 for a moment, before kneeling down and grabbing the frost white giant in one of its gnarly claws and hoisting it up off the ground by the shoulder. Evangelion Unit 01 clawed and scratched with its free arm at the monster's grip, but to no avail.

_*Snap!*_

Unit 01's clenched arm went limp. The Apostolo had effortlessly shattered the armoured giant's shoulder as though it were nothing. Unit 01 desperately flailed around as if in agony but could still not free itself from the entity's grasp, its fingers prying and prying as its shattered arm swung to and fro. The face of the Apostolo split in two, each half swinging outwards to reveal a gaping hole directly in front of Evangelion Unit 01. In an instant, a blinding light radiated from the hole, illuminating the nighttime city with a flash brighter than sunlight. The entire city rumbled with the force of an earthquake as a shrill shriek pierced the night.

A glowing, cross-shaped beam of light enveloped Evangelion Unit 01 and several city blocks directly behind the targeted Unit 01 as the Apostolo stood there, lowering its arms to its sides as it continued to emit the beam from its chest. No sign of Evangelion Unit 01 could be seen amidst the blinding light. Trees and cars near the light beam soon burst into flames as the Apostolo continued its attack. A minute later, alarm after alarm began to spread across the city as the beam began to intensify.

"WARNING! WARNING! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY ALERT! EVANGELION UNIT ONE IFF SIGNAL TERMINATED. NO RESPONSE FROM PILOT. ALL TOKYO THREE RESIDENTS BE ADVISED TO REMAIN IN SHELTER AND AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCT-"

_*Boom!*_

Without warning, the Apostolo was flung backwards for several hundred meters, colliding with several buildings and toppling them. The cruciform blast ceased in an instant, returning the city back to nighttime darkness. Standing where the monster had only a moment prior, encircled in flames, was Evangelion Unit 01. It leaned forward on its right leg, its torso twisted to the right with its undamaged left arm extended into a punch. Unit 01's armour glowed vibrant orange from the intense heat of the blast and the air around it distorting.

Evangelion Unit 01's limp arm began to radiate metallic groans, before snapping back into place as though it had never been harmed in the first place while its armour rapidly cooled back down to its original frost colour. Jolting forward, Unit 01 sprinted across the street towards the Apostolo and bound into the air with a mighty vault, climbing to an airborne altitude of over 300 meters. When it came slamming down onto the Apostolo, the force generated sent a shockwave across the immediate vicinity, collapsing several smaller buildings and resulting in a large crater.

A giant cloud of ash and dust was thrown up from the impact, but was quickly dispersed by a bright iridescent burst of light, revealing an octagonal wall of light between the Apostolo and Unit 01 that shimmered and sparkled and rang with a chiming sound.

Evangelion Unit 01 paused for a moment as it inspected the phenomena, before unfurling its clenched fingers and pushing them into the shield of rainbow light, pulling outwards on it as a hole began to manifest which quickly turned to a ripping motion as the field was torn in twain with a sound like a thunderclap.

Now directly atop the Apostolo, Evangelion Unit 01 began to wildly batter the orb section of the Apostolo, resulting in cracks beginning to form upon its surface. It was now the Apostolo's turn to flail about as it scratched at the armoured terror, but its efforts were fruitless. The orb began to further fracture, causing the Apostolo to grab onto Unit 01 and discharge a cross beam directly into Evangelion Unit 01's face.

The blast once more blinded the area before steadily fading in luminescence, revealing a gargantuan burning white crucifix that rose high into the dark sky. The Apostolo's body disintegrated into the ray of light as the crucifix continued to burn until it too faded away, leaving only Evangelion Unit 01 in its wake.

A portion of its facial armour fell away. Then a section of the arm plating, then a chunk from the torso. Bits of vermillion could be seen beneath the exposed areas, but before any more could be seen, the news feed finally cut to black.

A speechless Asuka turned to Mr Kaji.

"You better get some sleep, Asuka" said Mr Kaji as he rested a strong, reassuring hand on her trembling shoulder. "You're about to have a very busy day ahead of you, tomorrow."

"…th-that's an understatement, Mr Kaji!

* * *

Three thick, fluffy comforters were layered over the twin-sized bed along with numerous stuffed animals and pillows. Somewhere under all that was allegedly a girl named Asuka, the only signs of her being a pair of bare feet and an arm that jutted out from under the poofy mountain. Her hand was draped over an open box of chocolates on the night stand beside two more empty boxes of chocolate and a phone that hadn't stopped buzzing for days. A constant aching had settled in over her body and it showed no signs of going away any time soon, but regardless, Asuka was just glad she was finally home again with Mr Kaji.

Three days had passed since the incident in Tokyo-III made headlines around the world, sending shockwaves through societies and cultures as they struggled to rationalize what had just happened and yadda yadda yadda. Armed riots blah blah mass prayer sessions blah blah conspiracy theories about another apocalypse blah blah blabbity blah. Asuka had learned quickly to tune out the sounds of the news on TV, but on her phone she couldn't do a thing without being bombarded with something relating to the Tokyo-III attack springing up like it's a game of whack-a-mole.

It...wasn't like Asuka didn't understand HOW they felt. Seeing a fortified metropolis like Tokyo-III, a place so close in appearance to Berlin-II that she could just imagine herself walking down its streets, in such a cataclysmic state that initial night made falling asleep agonizing. She loved Berlin-II with all her heart, but at the same time, she didn't want to think about the destruction or the chaos. If she were to start wasting time worrying about everything else going on in the world outside her little bubble, would she ever be able to focus on what needs to be done?

The things that need to be done...oh, that was a can of worms if ever there was one.

The girl had been dragged around all over the friggin' place in the past few days. Even if she had an interest in finding out what the rest of the world was thinking, she hardly had the energy to look into it. She did, at least, know what her own nation's government was thinking. The television portrayed an image of an in-control and unwaveringly calm Germany, but Asuka had heard enough in all the meetings she had been dragged to with heads of state to know that in the face of the present situation, they were pooping their pants.

Yeesh, these past few days were a slog for Asuka. Nothing but physical exam after physical exam, briefing after briefing for things she already knew, and more red tape than any human being alive on the planet Earth could physically comprehend. All this happened while the girl had to sit there like a lemming on her now severely sore bottom, bored out of her skull at the sound of old generals and politicians arguing back and forth with each other.

All this crap, and still no meaningful decisions came out of it. Not whether or not Berlin-II should be on standby for when another Apostolo appears, because Asuka knew another one would appear. Not whether or not the German Defence Force should be mobilized. Nothing.

And not a peep about when Asuka would finally get the chance to see her baby. All she heard about was people prattling off praises for Evangelion Unit 01 and its pilot, and it was beginning to get on her nerves.

* * *

A knock came from the door, to which a worn-out Asuka groaned out a response to without moving from the bed.

"Uuuuuuummmmmmmfmmmfmmfmm…whooff iff ifffff?"

"It is me, Sergei! Are you alive in there, Asuka?!"

Good sweet merciful Jesus, an actual human being for once! Praise the Lord!

"…comff imff."

The door cracked open as Sergei peered inside, before opening the door fully as he looked around. Against one wall was a dresser and mirror covered in makeup and skincare products. Shelves adorned the unpainted walls with books and magazines of all kinds, from books like _Jayne Mansfield: The Working Man's Marilyn Monroe_ to fashion magazines to the odd comic or manga book. A variety of posters were hung on the walls that showcased old-timey Hollywood movie art, musicians, retro video games, and even a dingy old poster for some sci-fi anime called _Uru in Blue_.

Sergei peered down at the bed-bound and buried Asuka, an amused sigh of relief coming from him as her hand lazily grabbed a handful of chocolates and dragged itself under the comforters.

"Mmmmmfmmm…Serfeiiiii," she groaned. "Camf youf pullfff off thuf blankeffffssssss?"

Sergei obliged with a mighty tug, revealing a sprawled out Asuka as she lay face-down on the bed. She was dressed in a large, loose-fitting black t-shirt and…something. Some kind of bulky, weird looking nylon shorts that stretched down to just below her knees.

"Uhhh, what is you are wearing, Asuka" asked Sergei with a confused look.

Asuka raised her head up just enough to give a non-muffled response of "guhhhhhhhhhhh…sauna paaaants" before plopping her face back down. "Thefffffff feeelf sooooooooof gooooooooooooffffffffff anf steamfyyyyyyyyyyyyy. If gof themf if Amerficaaaaaa anf thef aref amafinffffffffffff."

Sergei laughed.

"Well, if it works, it works I guess. I figured you would be very tired so I brought you the crap you missed from school."

"Realffyyy? Thanffffff youuuuuuuuffffff" moaned Asuka as she flopped her hand back to the chocolate box and held out the box for him. "Jusff leaffff themf theref and affffffff oneffffffffff."

Placing the bunch of papers down on the dresser, Sergei plucked a chocolate from the box and bit into it.

"Your caretaker guy, Ryoji Kaji, he wanted me to bring you your dinner. He is a good cook, you know? He should be a chef or something."

Asuka slowly raised up her head and glanced back at Sergei, bags under her weary eyes, before glancing at the tupperware container full of left-over beef soba in his hand and blinking.

"Ohhh, dinner already" she murmured as she rolled herself over. "Mister Kaji's so sweeeeeet."

"Asuka, are you okay" asked Sergei as he handed her the container and fork. "You seem just a little bit tired."

Asuka rubbed her eyes, before nodding.

"Of course I am. I've just been run through the ringer like a wet rag lately, getting up suuuuuuuuper early in the morning and going with Mister Kaji down to NERV HQ. Nothing I can't handle. But jeez, it's all juuuuust a bunch of synch testing, health checkups, briefings and crap. All I've been doing is just sitting on my numb booty all day while a bunch of nerds babble back and forth about 'committee this' and 'authority that'. Blehhhh, such a snooze-fest. When am I gonna get to actually DO something? They put me through all that training just to lounge around?"

Sergei furrowed an eyebrow as Asuka sighed.

"I mean," started Asuka. "They haven't even let me see my baby yet! Evangelion Unit One…some old hunk of junk that can barely move gets deployed with some nobody as a pilot and I, a TRAINED Evangelion pilot who is AC-TU-ALL-Y QUALIFIED to pilot, can't even see MYYYYY unit yet?! Come ON! Unit One wasn't even MEANT to fight!"

Putting his hands up, the clearly perplexed Russian boy sighed with confused frustration, before crossing his arms.

"Look, I have no clue what any of that means. Why are you not more worried about big alien man invasion? What is it you do with those 'NERF' guys, Asuka, hmm? Are you like superhero? Like Captain America or whatever? 'Captain Asuka Langley: Defender of Freedom' with big dumb shield? 'Super Soryu' or whatever? Do you go out and fight monsters and beat up Godzilla in big scary robot, is that it, huh?"

Asuka began digging into the beef soba as she shrugged, the annoyance in her voice subsiding as she filled up on Mr Kaji's heavenly cooking.

"Yeah, pretty much."

Sergei went quiet.

"…wait, you are being serious with me right now, Asuka? No pulling of my leg?"

"Yyyyyyyyup" replied the girl as she scarfed down the soba. "I'm Asuka Langley Soryu, the designated pilot of the Evangelion Unit Two. I'm Mankind's _Primadonna Saviour_ " she said with grandiose confidence and flourish, placing a hand on her chest.

A moment of silence passed, before Sergei spoke.

"…holy shit. You ARE like superhero! I knew it!"

* * *

Evangelion Unit 01 zoomed back upwards from its prone state on the street to a standing position, before freezing in place as Asuka placed her delicate finger on the laptop screen.

"Seeeeeeee," said Asuka as she sat legs crossed on her bed, laptop on her lap and a feeling of energy once more in her voice. "THIS is mistake numero uno!"

Sergei squinted as he looked at the paused screen.

"It tripping?"

Asuka shook her head.

"What the heck was the pilot thinking?! WALKING is NOT that difficult! Seriously!"

The Russian teen scratched his head.

"So big robot DOES have pilot…INSIDE then, yes?"

Nodding, Asuka exhaled.

"Sooooo look, let me give you the rundown on all of this. So this thing's called an Evangelion Unit, right? We also call them Eva Units or Evas for short, but they're basically like big robots NERV and the UN built in secret to stop those big alien guys, the Apostolos."

Stroking his chin, Sergei asked "so why are you pilot of big robot, this Evanjelion or whatever you called it? Why not have trained soldiers or computer or something pilot robot?"

Asuka yawned as she leaned back against the bed's headboard. "Seems whatever eggheads built the darn things just CAN'T get the Evas to turn on without a suitable pilot inside. They tried adults and computers, but zippo. Nada. Not a thing. Seems only people our age can interface with them, and only specially selected candidates at that. Sounds pretty dumb if you ask me, buuuuuuuuuut I can't complain too much if it means I get to be the pilot."

"These Evas are pretty big but pretty picky, huh" asked Sergei as he looked back down at the monitor. "Like big children being picky about their food."

"Yeah" said Asuka, popping another chocolate in her mouth. "I guess you could say that. I'm officially titled 'Second Child' since I was the second ever person to be chosen to pilot an Eva. NERV took me as a kid, I found out I was compatible with Eva Unit Two, and ever since then that's all I've ever cared about. Being an Eva pilot's my destiny, and it's my life's purpose to protect Mankind's bacon and be its saviour!"

"Wooooahhh" exclaimed Sergei, listening with vested interest as his eyes darted back and forth between Asuka and the image of Evangelion Unit 01. "Aw man, you want to be like champion hero or something!"

Asuka grinned and nodded eagerly.

"If this war with alien freaks is the movie, then I am its starring girl!"

Sergei laughed, doing a little applause.

"So those funny horn things you wear, those help you pilot Eva?"

"Mmmhm" said Asuka with an enthusiastic nod, before setting down the laptop on the bed and walking over to a shelf to retrieve the headset. "These babies help synch up my nervous system with that of my Eva for maximum responsiveness. Don't want to have any lag when you're piloting a giant death machine in the middle of a big city after all, cuz that miiiight not end tooooooo terribly well…but they're just a tiny part of the ensemble I have to wear."

Thinking for a moment, Sergei looked to Asuka as she plopped back down onto the bed, before pressing play on the laptop and watching Evangelion Unit 01 struggle in the Apostolo's grip as its arm broke.

"So…you say all this gear helps to line up your nerves with Evanjelion's. Does…that mean if it gets hurt, gets a little banged up let us say, you get hurt too?"

"It does" replied Asuka nonchalantly as she reached over to the nightstand and picked up a tan folder that was sitting atop the empty chocolate boxes. "The more you're synched up with your Eva, the more accurate the thing's movements will be, buuuuut you'll feel what happens to the Eva if it gets hurt. Sooooo it's best NOT to act like a complete stooge and trip up like the twerp in Unit One did in the face of danger."

Watching Evangelion Unit 01 frantically trying to free itself after the injury made Sergei clench his teeth with a worried expression.

"Sheesh, that looks nasty…"

Asuka rolled her eyes at the footage, before shaking her head dismissively.

"Tsk tsk…the pilot was acting like a COMPLETE TURNIP!"

The boy asked in a confused voice "…a…'turnip'?"

Asuka sat up quickly.

"Uhhhhh, YESSSSSS! Hell-OOOOOOOOO, did you see how they got their butt handed to them? Jeez, I've seen wet tissue paper put up more of a fight!"

Flipping through the folder, Asuka pulled out a stapled series of papers and rummaged through them until she found what she was looking for. Scooting over, Asuka held the page up for Sergei to see. The page was loaded with various graphs and statistics, but his eye was drawn to a profile photograph in the top right cover of the paper. Staring back at Sergei was the image of a pallid-skinned girl, her facial shape and features distinctly Asian, with raven hair that fell down to her jawline. Her eyes were a deep hazel, and their cold, emotionless gaze made Sergei shift uncomfortably as he looked upon her face.

"This is Yui Ichijo," said Asuka. "The First Child was chosen to be an Eva test pilot and is the ONLY pilot at NERV's Tokyo-III branch. I've read up on her. No registered grades for Eva compatibility? Zero hours of accredited training? Nothing! Only thing she's about qualified to do is make her old clunker of a Test Type Unit scratch its butt!"

Asuka face-palmed.

"What geniuses let this chick go fight a friggin' SPACE ALIEN?! In a MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR WALKING PILE OF SCRAP, NO LESS?! Ughh, the first time the world gets to SEE an Evangelion Unit, and THIS girl and her antiquated Unit turn it into a big clown show! Hence my calling her a 'turnip' cuz that's about as useful as she is!"

Inspecting the page, Sergei looked up at Asuka as the girl huffed and cross her arms.

"…I just…I deserved to be the one out there. I've spent my entire life building up to this, and to see this moment just…squandered by some nobody who as far as I know hasn't done a thing to prove themselves a worthy Eva pilot…that's what bothers me."

"Well," said the boy as he leaned over to boop Asuka on the nose. "If big scary alien comes back, maybe then you will have chance to prove your stuff. Maybe snap HIS arm next time, hmm? Perhaps show up this Itchy Joe girl too while you are at it."

Her eyes widening, Asuka straightened up as her cheeks grew red, before a smirk spread across her face.

"Then…its war…looks like it's gonna be the rightful queen versus this nobody challenger to her throne."

Rising clumsily to her feet, Asuka stood on her bed, an expression of fiery passion spreading across her face as she raised her voice and clenched her raised fist in determination.

"You think you can just barge in and take MY moment from me, Yui?! Well, well, WELL! You got another thing coming, Wonder Girl! You're gonna be…you're gonna be Wonder BREAD once everyone sees ME and MY skills in the Eva! I'm gonna make you into a sandwich and chew you UP, WWWWonder Breeeead!"

Sergei raised up his hands and cheered.

"Eyyyyy yes! Warrior girl is coming out to play!"

"Darn straight" laughed Asuka sharply. "I'm going to kick butt, I'm going to PROVE that I deserve to be everyone's darling, and I'm going to rub Yui Ichijo's big, FAT nose in it! No one's taking away my destiny from me!"

"Good to see you two getting along so well" said Mr Kaji as he stood in the doorframe, dressed in a bathrobe.

Surprised, a wide-eyed Asuka nearly toppled over onto Sergei before managing to catch herself, her face growing awkward and embarrassed.

"Oh, uhhh, h-heya Mister Kaji! Was…I-I being too loud again?"

"Not at all, Asuka. I just stopped by to let you know that things are getting late, and that lest you forget, we have to be up early again tomorrow. You're going to see your Unit Two for the first time."

Asuka stiffened up, her pupils dilating as she let out a small gasp of disbelief.

"Th-They've given permission? Eep! Gott im HIMMEL! Ohhhh YESSSSSS!"

The girl's voice was full of child-like glee and happiness, while her eyes practically glowed.

"I've GOT to ready for this! I am NOT going to disappoint my Unit Two!"

"Sergei," said Kaji, turning to him. "I'm afraid I'll have to send you off for the night, but just know that you're always welcome around here. You're a good kid, and I'm glad to see Asuka enjoying other people's company who aren't in a lab coat or uniform."

The Russian teen grinned.

"Well, Ryoji, she is like small dog, like Chihuahua or Wiener Dog. Small, but very loud and full of energy."

"HEEEEEEY" said Asuka as she pinched Sergei's ear. "I'm not small! I'm just…teacup-sized is all!"

"Oh whatever, Lemon Head! You are like meter and half tall! You are midget! An Oompa Loompa! I can punt kick you like American egg-ball!"

Asuka pinched his other ear with a laugh.

"'Lemon Head' am I? How about I kick you in the balls so hard I make your lips pucker, Ruskie Boyyyyy?"

Kaji snickered as the two went at each other, before noticing them stop and burst out laughing at each other. Asuka's genuine laughter had an energy and life to it few people ever had the chance to see, and yet here it was, coming out around this young Russian man. Asuka leaned into Sergei, and for a moment Kaji began to smile. Perhaps, she was finally going to-

"Pssst… hey Sergei, tomorrow after I get back from Eva training, bring your PS2. I still owe you that butt-whooping session of _Guitar Hero_ " whispered Asuka with a gleefully mischievous smirk.

Kaji sighed quietly with disappointment, though neither of the two teens noticed.

"I can do that" said Sergei with an excited nod, before he stood up from the bed and stretched. "Hey, good luck to you tomorrow, Asuka. If you can, take photo or two of your Eva Unit. It is so cool to know someone who is superhero, and I want to see more of your work."

"Can do, buckaroo" replied Asuka with a smirk and a comedic salute.

The two bid each other good night before Sergei departed. Once she had washed up for the night and gone through her routine, Asuka returned to her bed and quickly drifted off to sleep. As she dreamed, Asuka tried to conjure up an image of what tomorrow would look like, how she would be dressed for the occasion, and most importantly what her Evangelion Unit 02 would look like. Whatever it looked like, it would make for a spectacular and awe-inspiring ride back up to the red carpet once all this Apostolo business was taken care of.

And once she was done scraping Yui Ichijo off the bottom of its foot, of course.

* * *

The sun shined high over the forested valley as the car's engine hummed. Brushing her golden bangs from her eyes, Asuka stirred from her sleep with a soft mewl. Her eyes cracked open, at first blinded by the bright sun, before snapping open as they spotted something far off on the mountainside.

"Good to see you awake, sleepyhead" said Kaji as he sipped from a can of coffee. "See something cool?"

Without hesitation, Asuka shifted upright in the front passenger seat, her eyes widening.

"No way…NO WAY!"

A grin spread across her face as the girl practically bounced up and down in her seat.

"Eep! No way no way no way no way NO WAYYYY!"

Jutting out from the wooded mountainside was the titanic concrete opening to a hangar bay, currently shut tight by an equally tremendous bulkhead that must have weighed as much as a skyscraper. Adorning it was the NERV sigil of an oak leaf bisected by the organization's name, all styled in crisp crimson colour, along with a black-painted "02" directly below it. The two were still a ways off from the structure, yet even so Asuka had to crane her neck upwards to try and get a view of the top of the bulkhead from within the car due to the sheer size of the thing.

"The Secretary of Defence says once Evangelion Unit Two's completed its mandatory training regiment, the Defence Force and NERV are going to relocate it to Berlin-II to await further orders from the Chancellor and NERV Command" replied Kaji as he glanced to Asuka with a smile.

"Y-You mean we're taking it home" gasped Asuka as she took out her phone to record the spectacular sight. "Fine by me! I could do with a shorter drive to reach my baby anyways."

The thick forests that enveloped the road slowly gave way to open space as the car arrived on-base. A few security checks later and the two were cleared to enter. Armoured vehicles, various types of helicopters, and a plethora of surface-to-air defence weapon systems used by the German Defence Force filled the grounds near the hangar. Construction workers, defence force guardsmen, and engineers all scurried about the place as the car drove through the base.

Looking around at them all scampering about, Asuka felt a sense of pride as she pressed her face to the glass. Every last one of them was likely working in service of her and her Evangelion Unit. This must be how queens back in the day felt as they arrived at their castles…all she needed was the dramatic fanfare.

At last, the car pulled to a stop in a parking area near the ground entrance to the facility. The people on base exchanged curious looks at one another, everyone seemingly knowing without hesitation as to who was in the car. Snapping out of her awe for a moment, Asuka rummaged around in her hand bag for her compact and comb. Examining herself in the mirror with great scrutiny, she touched herself up a little, before exhaling when she realized her small, delicate hands were trembling.

"You look good" spoke Kaji in a warm voice.

Kaji's words worked quickly on Asuka as her hands stopped shaking. Breathing slowly in and out, Asuka looked to him with a confident smile and a rosiness to her cheeks that seemed to be happening quite often of late.

"Leeeeeeeet's do this" giggled Asuka before exiting the car.

Dressed in a navy blue tie-waist sundress with floral printing, Asuka stood there proudly as she let the base's staff take in an eyeful of her. Her blonde head was capped off with a wide-brimmed straw hat. Her shoulders and arms were left exposed by the dress, showing off her soft pale skin. Asuka's petite waist was accentuated by the cut of the dress, further adding to her small, dainty appearance. A pair of open-toe sandals completed her look.

Resting her hands on her hips, Asuka looked around to see the reactions of those around her. Many seem surprised at the sight of this tiny girl and how much of a contrast she was to the starkly utilitarian place was she was in. Others murmured to one another, staring at her. That was it.

No particularly cheery-looking faces. No friendly waves or greetings. Not a peep or hint of a smile. One guardsman even shrugged and walked off. A pit of disappointment began to form in Asuka's stomach. She may have crumbled after her first day of school went due to all the noise and constant attention, but she'd take the sensory overload and sound over…nothing.

Before she could realize it, Kaji had taken her by the hand and began leading her towards the staircase that lead towards the hangar bulkhead. Asuka took one last glance back at the onlookers, before turning back, her excitement dampened somewhat. Why weren't they excited? What's the matter with her? Was something wrong with her? She got up extra early in the morning to do her makeup and hair. Couldn't she at least get one good reaction for all her hard work and effort from these nobodies?

"…Asuka, did you hear me?"

Shaking her head, Asuka refocused herself.

"…uhhhh…yyyyes?"

Kaji paused, causing Asuka to come to a halt as well.

"They're going to open the door."

Alarms sounded in the vicinity around the hangar entry as Asuka drew her phone and began recording. Heavy metallic clinking and clanging coupled with the drone of hydraulic pistons resonated from the concrete behemoth, shaking the ground. Asuka instinctively grabbed Kaji and clung to him as the impregnable wall of metal sank into the ground. When the mountainside ceased to rumble, Kaji looked down at the small girl as he checked his phone.

"Go, Asuka."

"H-Huh?"

Kaji gestured his head towards the now open hangar.

"I've just received word it's out of its cocoon and all fired up. It's waiting for you in the hangar."

Inhaling sharply, the anxiety once more melted away as Asuka slowly released her hold on Kaji. Thoughts of the staff's reactions and the overwhelming power of this day vanished from her head. Taking a slow step forward, then another and another with increasing speed, Asuka's mind became possessed by only one thing. In an instant, she was bolting up the remainder of the stairs, dress blowing about and hat on the verge of flying off. Her breathing quickened. Her palms were sweaty. Her heart was pounding.

Asuka gasped as she came to a stop before the open hangar. Raising her head, her jaw dropped as she stood there silently.

The technical drawings and simulation renders all failed to truly express to Asuka just how monolithic the Evangelions were in reality. Standing at 50 meters tall, shoulders broad and powerful, legs long and limber, chest strong and face beautiful was Evangelion Unit 02 Production-Type.

Unlike Evangelion Unit 01 with its bulky armour and shoulder pylons, Evangelion Unit 02 was sleek and sexy in its newly designed and crafted armour. The giant's metallic body practically rippled with shapely muscle that made Asuka's heart skip a beat as she took it all in. It was even the exact colour she had always hoped it would be: Roulette Rush Red. A perfect match for her nails. Bits of steel grey broke up the monochrome colour scheme while a glossy onyx colour picked out the under armour that could be seen between the gaps of the plate armour.

Her gaze settled on Evangelion Unit 02's head. It possessed a prominent protruding jaw with an overlapping angular mouth plate, all coming together to give something of the appearance of an infernal beard and grin. A pair of sunken-in spring green eyes contrasted sharply with the shade of red, popping splendidly. Several pairs of horns sprang forth from the giant's head. Two were on the sides of the head like pointed ears. Another pair of horns, long and flat, swept backwards from the back of the head. Finally, a small pair of bright orange horns protruded from the forehead of the titan akin to those of a fierce demon.

Asuka grinned as she removed her hat and ran her fingers over her own devil horns, which she had begun to wear regularly. The motif was one that was really beginning to grow on her since that first day back to school, and the appearance of her Evangelion served to solidify her interest. Together, the two in her mind were deliciously demonic. A little mischievous Imp and her towering, hellishly handsome Demon.

"I see you decided to look your best today too, huh baby" chuckled Asuka as she once again brushed a lock of hair from her eye. "Jeeeeez, now you're making me wish I wore red!" 

* * *

**Asuka finally meets Evangelion Unit 02! But will her first time behind the controls be smooth-sailing, or is trouble a brewing for the yappy German girl? _Neon Genesis Alcion_ will return soon with Chapter 3: Dance of the Golden Spurs!**

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to TheLadyMienshao, templarhalo, my Discord friends, and my sister Rob for giving me feedback on this and helping me edit this! ~^3^~


End file.
